February 16th, 2024

​The Meek - Matt 5:5
 I first got acquainted with the word ‘Meek’ in the song, ‘Gentle Jesus meek and mild’, in my childhood and youth and associated being meek with our Lord Jesus Christ.  My concept of the word had also included our Lord Jesus being meek because he was born in a stable. I saw sheep as meek because of their gentleness in comparison to the stubbornness of goats!  Being ‘Meek’ is a word that means so many things such as humility, patience, self-control and gentleness.  Nevertheless, for Christians, being meek is an evidence of the presence the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Being meek in the Christian context is often a misunderstood concept. It is far from being just a quality that can be seen outwardly in a person exhibiting humility, gentleness or patience.  These are definitely desirable for Christians in their everyday walk with God and with their fellow humans in the world. Yet, in Gods eyes, it is much more than this!
As Christians, we look to God’s Word for wisdom to guide our knowledge and enable us aspire to become like our Lord Jesus Christ, our model.  Matthew 5:5 says, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’[NJKV] So, it is a blessing that will bless our lives and our inheritance is great.  Let’s now start from the Old Testament to see what God reveals about being meek.  In Numbers 12:3 –“Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on Earth”. Moses birth circumstances differ poles apart from our Lord Jesus. He was brought up in a palace as a prince yet God calls him the meekest man on earth and chose him to lead His people. He spoke to Moses face to face and showed him His form!! God punished his siblings for speaking against Moses in Numbers 12:8.
 Being meek has to do with a quality only God can see in our heart. Moses as a person and leader always chose to intercede for the Israelites even when under pressure and provocation. He could have instead, for example, allowed God to punish the Israelites when they had pushed Moses beyond his patience and endurance. He chose not to be vindictive. It is very easy for us as humans to want instant justice, revenge or even retaliation to those who wrong us. So, From Moses, we see that he had the ‘power’ to do get even with the Israelites but didn’t. This is meekness. In the New Testament,  in Matthew26: 53, when our Lord Jesus was arrested and one of his disciples cut off the soldier’s ear, He put it back and said, “ …Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than  twelve legions of angels? And on the cross, after all the humiliation, torture, suffering and finally being crucified, our Lord Jesus on the cross spoke to God and said in Luke 23:34, “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” I can imagine in the spiritual realm, our God wanting to destroy those soldiers in some way but our Lord Jesus interceded. This is meekness.
Finally coming to what our Lord Jesus said about the meek inheriting the earth, what does He mean?  God created and owns the earth. He gifts it to those who have chosen not to assert themselves over others for personal gain, for their inheritance –[ something you don’t have to work for]. They will be blessed with good health, joy, love, peace and everything they will need. No matter how chaotic our world is, they are assured of the Father’s good plans for them. So dear sisters in Christ, let the words in Philippians 2:5 -8 guide us “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God…and became obedient to death…” I pray that God will exalt you as you seek to be meek by His grace. Amen.
Olusola Sophia Anyanwu is a novelist, poet  and writes Christian fiction. She is a member of the Association of Christian Writers. Find out more about her at: www.olusolasophiaanyanwuauthor.com